Battling Demons
by Lady Rayna
Summary: [Serena and Darien] A world on the edge of a war. Two people from different worlds are the only hope to stop the madness. However, the battle between religions is only the beginning.
1. Prologue

WOO-HOO! I'm SO happy because this is the very first time I ever publish one of my stories.

-jumps and dances around drawing everybody's attention-

-blushes-

O----k, back to business.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon, it belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, I only borrowed them for my own crazy pleasure. However, I DID wished I owned Tuxedo Kamen. Imagine all the fun we'd have... -drools over a pic of him-

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**Battling Demons**

_**Prologue**_

Serena was quietly watching the sunset from her balcony. No matter how many times she watched she couldn't grow bored of it. It was just breathtaking! The horizon looked as if it was on fire. Shades of orange, yellow and red mixed with the dark blue of the night sky. The soft evening breeze caressed her silk dress against her bare skin. She felt she was in a trance during every sunset and sunrise. It was one of those rare moments when she didn't feel the pain of not having her parents near her. She didn't feel the pressure of being the future queen. Slowly the darkness was consuming the light, bringing the stars and the two moons.

Hilda was a small planet far from the Milky Way. It had some things in common with the Earth though. The way the days, months and years were divided was the same as well as the appearance of the people. Compared to Earth, Hilda had a lower level of technology. This was due to people being too much connected with religion. Through religion and lack of education, the government could control the people as they pleased.

Hilda was divided in five continents: Io, Mokos, Isa, Agni and Hurakan. Each continent had a different kind of government, culture and religion. They were almost totally independent from each other, only doing business when absolutely necessary. The leaders were polite and gentle to each other, showing a peaceful relationship. However, the people didn't know that was only façade, that their leaders had other plans. More wicked plans, if you know what I mean.

Princess Serena sat on her bed lost in her thoughts. It was just a week before her 21st birthday when she would finally become queen. She really didn't know how to rule a kingdom. She had hardly ever left the castle, and when she did she disguised herself and spent nothing more than three hours in the city's streets. Not that she enjoyed walking in those dirty and filled-with-people streets, quite the opposite.

The world outside was unknown to her and she wanted to see it before she became queen. How was she supposed to rule properly if she didn't even know her lands, what her people needed and how they lived? How would she help them? She wished her parents were with her, they'd guide and comfort her. For the hundredth time she thought how her life would be like if her parents were still alive. They died when she was four. Serena used to wake her parents up nearly everyday, and that morning was no different. She went to her parent's chambers and jumped happily on their bed, but they didn't wake up. She shook them but got no response. Tears started to fall down her cheeks and she ran to get help. One of the maids saw her crying and asked what had happened. The little princess didn't say a word; she just took one of the maid's hands and pulled her to the chambers. As soon as the maid saw the king and the queen the pieces were pulled together and she ran to see if they still breathed. She couldn't hold the tears when she realized they were dead. How they died remained unknown.

After the death of both the queen and the king, the High Council had to choose a temporary ruler. Asura was chosen. He was queen Serenity's younger brother and the only person who had royal blood and could legally rule. He was twenty-one when he was assigned to the throne. Despite what most people thought, he was a fine looking man even after sixteen years. He had silver hair and blue eyes just like his sister, he was tall and his voice was calm but, at the same time, it had such a powerfulness that made people do exactly what he said. Whoever saw queen Serenity and Asura together thought they were twins.

Something about Asura made Serena hold back when she was with him. Her sixth sense told her to be careful because something was wrong, something didn't feel right. She investigated but found nothing, and then decided to push those thoughts to the back of her mind. Maybe she was just overreacting because of all the pressure.

She sighed and opened the top drawer of her bedside table. From there she took a photo of three people. She had found it during one of her rare 'trips' to the palace garden. The wind was quite strong and she saw a piece of paper coming in her direction, she took it and saw it was actually a picture. On the left was a light-brown haired man, his arm was around a dark-brown haired woman. They were both smiling. On the right side stood a dark haired man with his arms crossed and an annoyed look. Serena smiled and caressed a finger on the dark haired man's face. He was so handsome. He had deep blue eyes, was tall and his dark suit fit his body perfectly. 'And what body!' Serena thought, 'I imagine what's hidden under that suit...' she had to blush at her own boldness.

The future queen was so focused on the picture that she didn't realize when someone sneaked in her chambers. Then she felt it.

Pain.

Someone had knocked her on the neck. She felt dizzy and couldn't focus. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she was welcomed by darkness.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

"Where's Serena?" a blonde haired woman asked to no one in particular. Her curious blue eyes were scanning the place, searching for any sight of her princess.

"How the hell are we supposed to know, Mina?" a dark haired woman angrily answered.

"Well, I thought you were the ALMIGHTY and POWERFUL priest, who could see everything she pleased. Isn't that right, Rei?" Mina asked sarcastically.

"I CAN see things, but it doesn't work so easily like you think nor can I see whenever and wherever I want. Oh, never mind! I won't waste my time trying to explain this to you. You're hopeless!"

"WHAT did you call me?" once again they were fighting like the children they were. Not even one day passed without Mina and Rei arguing. It had become a kind of strange habit to hear them insulting and, sometimes, almost hitting each other. Like the other girls said: the day was not complete without their argument.

"Enough you two!" the tallest of the group spoke and shook her head, her brown hair gracefully following her movement.

"Lita, I'm worried about her. I think we should see if she's all right." the blue haired one said thoughtfully. Something was wrong, she could feel it. They had been waiting for almost an hour. Serena used to arrived fifteen or thirty minutes later, but not an hour!

"You're right Ami. Let's go!"

Ami, Rei, Lita and Mina were Serena's guardians and, above all, friends. They were called "Sailor Soldiers" due to their sailor-like outfit.

Ami was Sailor Mercury, the soldier of intelligence. She was very shy and preferred to discuss things before acting. Because of her amazing intelligence people always thought she was superior and didn't want to talk to her, she was always left aside. But with the help of her friends she learned to be more confident and to loosen up, though she still had a long way to go.

Rei was Sailor Mars, the soldier of flame. 'Inner strength' were two words that defined Rei perfectly. She was calm, mature and despised men for some unknown reason. Maybe she didn't like the idea of depending on someone of the opposite sex or maybe she had suffered because of them. The girls never talked to her about that because though she hardly ever lost her patience, when she did it was very scary.

Lita was Sailor Jupiter, the soldier of thunder. She was the opposite of Ami, she hit first and asked questions later. She was the tallest and most impulsive of them all. Her skills in combat and cooking were just the best. Lita loved cooking to other people and hear them say how wonderful her food was. Though she looked a tough girl, she was really sweet.

Mina was Sailor Venus, the soldier of love. She was pretty friendly and playful with everybody around her. Being the first one to become a Sailor Soldier she was, obviously, the leader. Mina spoke from her heart and that sometimes annoyed people, but she had such a cute and soft way that someone couldn't possibly be angry with her for long.

They made their way to the princess' chambers and knocked on the door.

No answer.

They knocked again and again, but no one answered. Lita opened the door, "Serena!" she said while giving a quick look around. They searched in the bathroom and in the closet, but she was nowhere to be seen.

After looking in the entire palace they decided to talk to Asura. The princess' guardians hastily explained the situation to him. They were desperate and worried to death.

"First you have to calm down," Asura said, "then you'll go try to find the princess."

"But how? We have no idea where she is!" Rei exclaimed, visibly the most nervous of them all.

"Each one of you will go to a different continent and try to find any clue, any clue at all." He said in his usual calm and soft tone, "Mina, you'll go to the Mokos continent. Ami'll go to Isa, Rei to Agni and Lita to Hurakan."

"Wait!" Mina said, "Just us? You must be joking 'cause those continents aren't small, we'll need help."

"No, I'm not joking, Venus." He looked at her with such cold eyes that all her protests and arguments slipped away from her. "No one shall know about the princess' disappearance. We don't know how the people would react, that's why you're going to work on your own." Asura was the kind of person who never thought with his heart, he was very practical. In the most critical times you could count on him to be the voice of reason, maybe because he didn't show any expression beyond his usual coolness. Sometimes the girls had to wonder if he really had a heart beating under his chest. "Well, about the Io continent, as it's the biggest of them all, I'll send the other four guardians to search here. You may leave as soon as you're ready."

They all nodded and quickly headed to their chambers to pack their things and leave immediately.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

A purplish-haired woman, with a golden crescent moon on its head, sneaked in the princess' chamber to confirm what she had already heard.

The princess had disappeared.

"It's all my fault!" The woman thought aloud, "I'm sorry princess, I've failed..." Soft tears ran down her cheeks. She tried to stop them but it just got worse.

Luna was princess Serena's loyal counsellor and friend. Actually, the princess had one more counsellor: his name was Artemis. While Luna was wise and calm, Artemis was playful and cheerful, just like Mina. It was no surprise that Mina and Artemis got along so well.

After the king and queen died, Luna thought she had to protect the princess from everyone and everything at all costs. So she kept Serena inside the castle as much as possible, not realizing that it hurt Serena more than helped. When she heard the guardians saying that the princess had disappeared she felt her heart sink in sadness. She should have been there for her. She should have protected her. It was her responsibility. Her fault.

From the balcony Luna could see the guardians leaving the castle.

"Good luck on your journey. May the Sun guide your paths and the Moon give you strength." she whispered as if it was a prayer, a prayer she hoped would reach them and bring them back safe and sound. All of them.

Then an idea hit her. Maybe she could help them, even if it was from afar. First she needed to talk to that stupid Artemis, she would need his help. After all, he had to be useful for something. She wanted to know why that had happened, she had a hunch, but she wanted to make sure.

However, Luna didn't know the game of intrigues, secrets and madness that she and everybody else had been thrown at. The wheels of destiny were moving, slowly now, but soon they'd be in an unbelievably fast pace, crazily changing the life of everybody involved, forever and ever. It was the beginning of the end, but, maybe, there was hope. A small flame of hope that, in wise hands, could grow enough to turn the tables.

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Well, hope you enjoyed the prologue and if you want leave me a review, but no flames, OK? I'd be really glad if you did, but if you don't wanna to... what can I do, ya? It's not like I can torture you to do so... or maybe I can... -evil laugh-


	2. The Beginning of a New Life

No, I don't own Sailor Moon, but I'm trying to buy the rights to Tuxedo Kamen. I've already sent my proposal to Naoko-sensei and I'm waiting to hear back, let's see what she says.

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_**Chapter 1 – The Beginning of a New Life**_

The sound of his footsteps on the cold asphalt echoed in the silent street. He knew that it was dangerous to walk alone at night, but he really didn't care. If he died no one would miss him anyway. The only people who cared about him were no longer by his side. His parents had died in a car accident when he was only a child and his two friends went missing about three years ago. He had nothing more to lose after all.

The streets were almost entirely dark. The only source of illumination came from the few lamp posts that cast a dim light over the streets. However, strangely enough, he felt at ease when he was in the darkness. It matched his mood. No, not his mood, but his new personality after the disappearance of his friends. He was alone, completely and utterly alone. With each passing day he sank more and more in the darkness that was consuming his heart. God knew how many times he tried to put an end to the pain he was feeling, but he could never finish. Something, some kind of voice, always stopped him and made him realise that he had to go forward no matter what. He didn't know why he listened to that voice, but he did and it brought him hope that one day his life would change. One day he would find happiness and be the man he always wanted to be.

He was deep in thought when a feminine voice cried, "Help me!" bringing him back to reality.

He looked around, trying to identify the place where the voice came from. He found nothing nor heard anything besides the cold evening wind. Quickly he shrugged off what he had just heard, thinking that his mind was playing tricks on him. He was working far too much and really needed a break.

"Please, help me!" the voice cried out once again, more desperate than before.

He could feel his once steady heartbeat become rapid in the blink of an eye. It couldn't be his mind, at least not twice. Again he searched, and again he found no one. The street was deserted, not even a living soul was passing by.

"Who are you? What do you want?" he was frenetically looking at all directions, desperate to find out what the hell was happening.

"Help me... help me... help... me..." the voice was repeating those two words over and over again, slowly fading away.

Then it hit him. The voice wasn't coming from any direction... it came from his mind! _That's it,_ he thought desperately, _I'm getting crazy! I'm hearing voices!_

He was shaking uncontrollably. His wounded heart had affected his mind, his sanity. He knew that, though outside he looked calm and controlled, inside he was slowly breaking apart. He had to calm down, to run away from everything and everyone that kept him imprisoned, or else that small amount of sanity that he had tried so hard to grasp, would slip between his fingers.

Slowly he started walking away. One steep after another he was making his torturous way out of that street. The shaking had already stopped when a sharp pain hit his head. The pain increased at each passing second. He pressed his hands on his temples trying to block, or at least to relieve, the pain. It was useless, it only made it hurt more and more. Not being able to stay up anymore, his legs gave away and he fell on his knees. He felt himself drifting toward unconsciousness. At that point the pain was becoming unbearable and, when he thought he would finally die, he blacked out.

Fragments of his life passed right in front of his eyes. Memories he desperately wanted to forget, but were burned in his soul forever.

_What a miserable life,_ he thought with a mocking smile.

Although he tried not to think about that, he knew that, deep down, he pitied himself and the way his life was heading. If it was heading any specific way, which he doubted. He really felt he was running around in circles. However, in the middle of his memories he saw the smile of a child. That little girl had nearly died, but he had saved her and she gave him her happiest smile as a thanks gift. The smiles of the children were his greatest reward as a paediatrician. When he was near those pure creatures he felt that his life had some kind of meaning, or at least during that moment.

Suddenly, he felt his body tingling all over and his head started throbbing. He tried to fight the pain and the urge to give in, but he was weak against them both.

The memories that were surrounding him scattered and in its place, once again, came the darkness and it was slowly closing in. Thousands of thoughts were racing across his mind but the only one he could grasp was: _Is this a dream?_ In the middle of that darkness he couldn't hear anything. The deafening silence was certainly driving him insane. He wanted to hear something, anything... no... he wanted to hear that voice again. That sweet and desperate voice that was calling for help, for _his_ help.

He didn't know how much time had passed after the first time he fainted. Minutes, maybe hours, he couldn't say for sure. But what intrigued him the most was where he was, or rather where he wasn't. For sure he wasn't in that street anymore. He was in a kind of flower field. On his left there was a forest, on his far right he could see a village on the top of a hill and in front of him the flower field continued until the eye could see. He didn't even recall ever being in such a place before. His dark-blue eyes were carefully scanning the place when something caught his attention.

A person, a woman, was laid in a kind of stone bed. Her hands and feet were tied to the stone and, apparently, she was asleep or maybe had fainted. Then, he remembered that feminine voice. Was it possible that the one asking for help was that woman? Well, there was only one way to find out.

Carefully he approached her. First he looked around to make sure no one was looking, and then he shook her gently, saying, "Hey, wake up."

She opened her sleepy light-blue eyes and when she saw him she gasped, "What are you doing here?"

He sighed. The voice was the same, he had no doubt about it, "I thought _you_ could answer that. After all, you were the one who called me, weren't you?"

"Y-yes," she bit her lower lip slightly, "I guess so."

She just couldn't believe he was there. Had she really done that? And most importantly: _how_? She cleared her head from these thoughts. That wasn't the best moment to seek those answers, she would do that later when she wasn't tied down.

"Could you please untie me?" she shook her hands to show where she was tied, as if he hadn't noticed before.

"Why would I do that?" he didn't know what her intentions were and, truly, he didn't trust her. _Better safe than sorry_, he thought.

"Gee," she said quietly annoyed with his thick head, "you want some answers, right? And besides, you don't know how to go back to your planet, but I do." She felt bad lying, but it was the only way to get his help. She just hoped it wouldn't turn out bad.

"My planet?" he couldn't believe his ears or in her for that matter.

"Yeah, you aren't on Earth anymore, but in Hilda," she said it with such certainty that shocked her beyond words how she knew exactly from where he came. How was that possible? She had heard about the Milky Way and the planets that formed it thanks to her friends, but how could she know that he was from Earth?

"What the hell are you talking about?" his angry voice snapped her out of her thoughts bringing her back to reality.

"Look at the sky," the young lady said as she pinpointed her blue gaze at something in the sky.

It was night and the velvet sky was covered with thousands of tiny bright stars and... two moons? "No way!" he thought out aloud, "This can't be happening..." he shook his head and closed his eyes tightly. _It's just a dream, you'll wake up at any moment_, he tried to convince himself but, when he opened his eyes, nothing had changed at all. The lady was still there, tied to the stone, and the two moons continued to brighten the night sky.

"Please, untie me! We need to get out of here really fast!" she was already becoming annoyed with his slowness, though she couldn't blame him entirely. _Going to another planet isn't exactly something that happens everyday._

Without giving the matter a second thought, he quickly untied her. If she had to describe the sensation of being free in one word, it would be: relief. She massaged her wrists, so the blood could run again, while he untied her feet. The ties had left some marks on her, but luckily soon they would be gone. Standing up, she signalled to him to follow her. Not that she knew exactly where she was going, but if the rumours were true, and she was praying for that, then they would at least have a place to shelter them from the cold night. They ran to the forest and started walking when they were far enough from the flower field. The light from the two moons guided them in the unknown. The forest wasn't as dense as it seemed like from outside, and for that the couple was grateful because it would have slowed them down considerably.

However, what made the young lady shiver were the stories she had heard about that forest. Kaseteran, also known as Forest of Spirits, was said to be inhabited by ghosts and spirits. They would dance before the eyes of whoever dared to cross the forest, but only their heads and luminous eyes could be seen. Sometimes they would creep along the ground and lick the feet of the visitors with their cold tongues. Although she was trying to shrug off these stories as just being meaningless rumours, she was trembling with fear inside.

"By the way, where are we going?" he asked. He was following right behind her, but didn't notice that she was deeply preoccupied and discretely looking around.

"Just wait," was her short and rather vague answer. That made him frown. There he was, after saving her from whatever she had to be saved, following her like an obedient dog and all she answered was 'Just wait'? Who did she think she was? A princess? And even if she was a princess she had no right to treat him like that.

"Listen-" he started, but never had the chance to finish because he felt all the words slipping away from him when he saw the beautiful picture she made.

She had stopped suddenly and started looking around. From where she was the light of the moons bathed her in silver. Her long golden hair had gained shades of silver, and her pale skin was so much paler under that light that, to him, it was almost shining. She was carefully looking around, searching for something, when she noted his gaze on her. It was a gaze she had never seen before. However unknown, his gaze made her blush and to immediately turn the other way. Raising her arm, she pointed at a narrow path before her, "It's that way." Her voice was shaking, though she tried to pretend she was calm and that that scene had never ever happened.

Without muttering a word, they started walking in the direction she had previously pointed. The sound of their own footsteps on the dead leaves, scattered on the ground, was their only companion while walking. They couldn't hear the sound of any animal not even the bird of night, and even its hoot would be welcome at that moment.

They were scared to say something after that strange episode between them. Both afraid that if something was said, it would only make things weirder than they already were. Definitely, the darkness and the silence of the Forest of Spirits didn't help at all. It only brought them one more fear: not being able to be close to each other because, instead, they were afraid of each other. A silly thing for sure, but they couldn't help it. One didn't know what the purpose of the other was. And she wasn't so sure she wanted his help anymore. Even with her back turned she could feel his gaze on her, trying to read her intentions. Her mind. Her soul. What if he found out the truth? She didn't even want to think about that possibility. Although she didn't know him very well, she knew he would be very, but very, very mad at her. And she surely couldn't blame him because if she were in his shoes she would feel the same.

After what seemed a small eternity for both of them, they arrived at an abandoned cottage. It was made of stone and had two floors, and a dormer window. The cottage was neither too big nor too small; it was the right size for two people to live in comfortably, three at most. The wooden front door was painted in dark blue, as were the two windows beside it. Beautiful and colourful chrysanthemums adorned the border of the cottage. A white fence and a chimney were the finishing touches that gave the place a cosy feeling. It was a safe place in the middle of a spooky forest.

She had to control herself not to jump and laugh in happiness. _So the good rumours were true and the bad ones weren't_, she thought happily, _finally some good news!_

Climbing up the doorstep, she tried to open the door but found it was stuck. When she saw him approaching she backed off to let him try to open it. He didn't need to push much before the door swung open with a loud noise, and the two stepped inside. As soon as they entered the stench of rust metal and old wood assaulted their noses. The smell of musty furniture made them waste no time in opening the windows. The few pieces of furniture that were in the living room were covered with grime, indicating that someone hadn't been there in years. But apart from that, everything was well organised and perfectly preserved.

Silently she went to the kitchen to search for something to light up the place and he stayed on the living room to clean it, or at least just the sofa. They were amazed how they didn't need to say anything to know who would do what. It was as if they could read each other's mind. Forgetting that silly thought, and focusing on her 'mission', she opened the first drawer. It was empty. The other drawers were either empty or had some kind of cutlery. Opening the cupboard, in the middle of the pans and cups, she found some candles and a candlestick.

When she went back to the living room she was surprised to see the sofa clean. The guy was quick, she had to admit. She put the candle on the side table and sat on the sofa, next to him. He was absentmindedly playing with a dirty piece of cloth. She looked at it and thought, _He must have cleaned the sofa with that_. When she lifted her gaze from his hands she caught him looking at her. This time she didn't turn around, instead, she looked back at him, directly at his eyes. The dim light of the candle traced the steely planes of his face and made his blue eyes more pronounced than they already were. There were so many things he wanted to ask, but, afraid to break the eye contact, he remained quiet.

She decided she had to say something, break that awkward silence. They had many things to talk and discuss and just staring at each other wouldn't take them anywhere. "I-I never told you my name," she said, felling like an idiot for stating the obvious.

"No, you haven't," he agreed, never breaking their eye contact, secretly treasuring it.

"Serena." For the first time in her life, the talkative Serena was at a loss for words. If her friends knew about this they would make fun of her for sure. _She_ would make fun of herself later and how like an idiot she was acting.

Unnoticed to both of them, he started to get closer to her. Unable to stop, but let himself be draw by her eyes. When she finally realised what was going on she tried to turn her head around, but a sharp pain hit her neck and she cried out. Snapping out of his trance, he worriedly asked if she was ok. Her answer was a painful smile and a slight nod.

"Don't worry about me," she said, massaging her neck, "I'll be ok."

"Are you sure, Serena?" he wasn't quite convinced that she was all right.

"Yes, yes, I'm sure." She nodded vigorously as to prove her point. He decided not to ask anymore for the time being, but next time she wouldn't escape so easily. "Hmm... you still haven't told me your name."

"I guess you're right," he said slightly embarrassed, though he didn't quite know why, "It's Darien."

She smiled brightly at him, "Ok, Darien. Now that we, _finally_, know each other's names we can go to business. You wanted to ask me some things, right?"

"Right." He breathed slowly, clearing his thoughts. He didn't need to think much to decide what he wanted to ask first, "How do you know about me? And why did you call me here?"

"Some months ago," she began, "I found a photo of three people: a guy, a woman and you. That's how I knew, though I didn't know your name, as you already know." Serena noticed his body stiffen when she mentioned the couple. She wondered if she had said something wrong. However, before she could even think about asking, he closed his eyes and started speaking.

"A couple? A light-brown haired man and a dark-haired woman?"

"Yes. Is there something wrong?"

"Three years ago my friends, a couple, disappeared while travelling to their honeymoon. We trailed the places where they had gone, or could have gone, but we didn't find any clue that could tell us what had happened to them. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. They vanished into thin air." Darien kept his eyes closed and lowered his head, afraid to show his emotions, his weaknesses. "Now you tell me," he continued, "that you have found a photo of them. How can that be?"

He was right. How could that photo be in Hilda? How...? Serena thought for a moment about his words.

Suddenly she gasped, startling Darien. There was only one possible answer, "They came to Hilda!"

"How?" he asked looking at her, completely confused.

"The question isn't 'how', but 'why'?" before his puzzled face, she continued, "I'm sure they didn't know about Hilda, so someone must have brought them here. Someone powerful..." she trailed off, having no idea who that 'powerful person' could be.

If it was possible Darien was more confused than when he arrived in Hilda. Instead of getting answers, he was gathering more questions. However, he gained some hope also. His friends could be alive and he could, and _would_, do anything to find them. But first, he needed one last answer from her, "You still didn't tell me why you called me."

"I called you because I want to go on a journey to see the world."

"And why did you choose me?" he raised his eyebrow. A strange choice, he had to admit.

That was a hard one to answer because she didn't know herself. It was not like she had planned all that, quite the opposite. Things were starting to get out of control. Of course, she would take that opportunity to make her dream come true; it would be now or never. "Well, you see," she started, trying to find from where she could begin, "the thing is that this evening, after the sunset, someone knocked and kidnapped me. After that, I was brought to that village near the mountain and, at sunrise, I was going to be sacrificed to the God of the Mountain. The rest you already know." He nodded, though he didn't get where she wanted to go. "Anyway," she continued, "the problem is that I'm the princess of the Io continent, this continent, and because of that I was hardly ever allowed to go outside and in a week's time I'll turn 21 and become queen." Her voice was cracking with emotion and her eyes were moist. Breathing deeply, she finished her story, "But, really, how can I be a good queen if I don't even know my own country, let alone my world, and the people who live in it? That's why I wanna go on a journey, but I don't wanna go alone..." she trailed off, finally revealing her objective.

She wanted to see the world and he wanted to find his friends. So why not travel together? One could help the other and both would reach their goals. Although he didn't want to admit, Darien was very thrilled with the prospect of seeing another world. He wondered if Hilda was different from Earth. And what about the people and their cultures? Yes, he was very curious indeed. However, his main goal would be to find his friends, or so he thought. But deep down there was a voice telling him that he wanted more than to just find his lost friends.

"So you can count on me," he declared, slightly curving his lips in a smile. She mouthed him a 'thank you' and got up saying that they should call that a day. He agreed, but then asked where they would sleep. Serena looked around and noticed that behind the sofa was a flight of stairs. Wasting no time, they went upstairs.

The second floor was, as they had imagined, a bedroom. There was a double bed covered with a white cloth, two side tables, on the right side was a wardrobe and in the middle of the room were a small wooden table and two chairs. A beautiful and delicate porcelain vase lay on the table. Inside it, two lonely flowers remained. Both dried, giving an air of sadness and solitude. It obviously contrasted with the welcoming atmosphere of the cottage, though abandoned as it was. Beige curtains adorned the only window of the room. Simple and forgotten just like the rest of the cottage.

Serena walked to the bed and removed the white cloth covering it. Surprisingly, the bed was as clear as the years of disuse permitted, and it didn't have that characteristic smell of old things. She happily lay on the bed, thanking all gods for that small solace after such a long night. After all, it hadn't exactly been a bed of roses, of that she was sure. Seeing her content like that made him smile, even if it was just slightly and shortly.

After deciding that Serena would sleep on the bed and Darien would take the sofa, he took some covers from the wardrobe and descended the stairs. He tried to make the sofa as comfortable as possible, but he was so exhausted that he just gave it up and lay on it. Although he was doing his best to get some sleep, his mind was brooding over the last events. Questions, doubts, fear, memories, everything was flooding on his mind, unsettling him.

His battle against his troubled mind was interrupted by a strange noise. When he opened his eyes and looked through the window, he saw the shape of a person creeping around outside. Gathering all his strength and the rest of energy he still had left, he got up from the sofa and walked as silently as humanly possible.

As it seemed, that crazy night hadn't ended yet, not for Darien at least. One last surprise awaited for him, crouched in the shadows just waiting for the delicious moment to catch its prey.

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**Author's Note:** Hmm... I was thinking that I might have to change the rating from T to M. I thought T was enough, but now I see it isn't. Don't worry (or DO worry) because I won't put a lemon, well, at least not on FF, but maybe on other site... When I finish chapter 3 I'll see if I'll change or not.

**Correction (June 09):** Just wanted to clarify something: when I said chapter 3, I meant the next chapter (chapter 2), actually. Sorry, my mistake. And one more thing: I really hate to say it but anyway, if you read my story, please, do drop me a review, kay? I never knew how meaningful a review is till I got my first one. If you're an author you know what I'm talking about, you feel like writing an entire chapter every time you get a review. Anyway, hope you have enjoyed the ride and let me know what you thought about it.


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